Flood maroons 517 villages in Odisha; death toll mounts to 39

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 10:

517 villages in Odisha have been marooned in the current floods.

Briefing the media today, deputy relief commissioner Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra said about 5.33 lakh people have been affected by the high flood.

“There have been a total of 39 breaches in the state while the death toll has gone up to 39, he added”.

Mohapatra also informed that water level of all major rivers has receded except Baitarani water level of which was flowing over the danger mark at Akhapada.

Meanwhile, authorities of Hirakud Dam closed two more gates following inflow of less water from the upper catchments.

Till reports last came in, water from the reservoir was being released from 22 gates.

A release by the local Met office here this morning said that yesterday’s low pressure area over north Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood over Gangetic West Bengal and neighbourhood now lies over north-eastern parts of Jharkhand and neighbourhood at 8.30 am today.

Under its influence, rain or thundershower would occur at many places over Odisha while heavy rainfall would occur at one or two places over interior Odisha during next 24 hours.